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Hidden Mickey Treasures Small and Large

Hidden Mickey scavenger hunts have become part of the fabric at Walt Disney World. When Imagineers build, create, or think of new attractions they are sure to incorporate the three-circled images of Mickey Mouse in places where we’d least expect them. Sometimes they end-up in rock work, queue lines, post shows, or right into the attraction themselves. Sometimes, they are so big we can’t even see them from afar.

One of the best places our family has hunted for hidden Mickey’s is over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House. Inside and outside of the lobby area you’ll find some great hidden Mickey’s in places where you’d never expect them. They are so well done that when our family revisits the resort we tend to stop and look at them over and over again. They’ve almost become landmarks for us.

If hidden Mickey’s are your thing or you simply want to see what this craze is all about stop by the AKV concierge desk and ask them for a Hidden Mickey Hunt sheet. On the sheet you’ll find clues that will lead you to several hidden Mickey’s in and around the lobby area. Be warned, some of the clues are a bit difficult while others are more simple and generic. You don’t have to be a resort guest to partake in this activity. It’s open to anyone willing to visit the resort and have some fun along the way.

It’s a terrific family activity that can take up a few hours out of your vacation day. Even better it can get you out of the afternoon hot and humid Orlando weather for a while. If you are looking to get away from the theme parks this hunt is a great activity to pass the time.

If you simply can’t get enough of these three-circled shapes hidden all around Disney World property let’s explore a little more. If you get frustrated that some of the hidden Mickey’s are hidden a little too well, then let’s take a motor coach over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Here you will find one of the biggest hidden Mickey’s on Disney property. This hidden Mickey is so big its gigantic size hides it very well.

If you are an Expedition Everest lover imagine for a moment you are riding in and out of the mountain. You go through a few high-speed helixes and back in the mountain again. Well, those high-speed turns are significant in more ways than just G-forces. An image from above via Google Earth shows those turns as Mickey ears while the forbidden mountain is used as the face of Mickey Mouse. This hidden Mickey is hidden by sheer size and scope. From ground level you can’t see it. You could only see it from above. The next time you are on Expedition Everest going in and out of the mountain try and put the hidden Mickey pieces together head.

If an Expedition Everest hidden Mickey wasn’t enough to satisfy your mind’s eye what about the slow entrance and exit loops within the attraction. You know, the starting turn before you go up the first lift. Then, when the ride is just about over the turn you make into the exit area. Another photo from above shows those turns as rabbit ears in reference to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit one of Walt Disney’s first characters he ever created.

Believe it or not the Expedition Everest hidden Mickey is not the largest on property. This rather well-known hidden Mickey can be found near the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom. Located inside the Walt Disney World Speedway you’ll find a large lake that appears like just any other body of water. But, a look from above shows our 3 famous circles again. This hidden Mickey is only hidden by its sheer size and mass.

Imagineers left us hidden Mickey’s at all points around the Walt Disney World property to find and discover. Some are small, some are large, some are huge, and some were even left for our entertainment in the form of hunts and games. Either way, these gems have been around for quite some time and are now part of what we expect each and every time we visit the resort or explore a new attraction. Keep your eyes peeled because you never know when you might run into a new hidden Mickey or one so big you can’t even see it when it’s right in front of you.

Aaron DelPrince (ADP) and his family have visited Walt Disney World several times over the past 20 years. From their first honeymoon visit to the present, Aaron's family has experienced several of the non-attraction activities in and around the Disney resort. Aaron's column, A “World” of Opportunites, is a look at the various activities you and your family can experience at Walt Disney World. You can reach Aaron at adp@studioscentral.com.